You may qualify to join the 1718 SAFFD as a descendant from our list of expeditions and their participants.
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FEATURED ANCESTOR
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Diego Ramon (1641-1724
"As commandant of the presidio of San Juan Bautista from its establishment in 1703 until his death, Diego Ramón played a key role in the development of Spanish Texas and the founding of missions in both Texas and Coahuila (TSHA)."
His first entry into what is now Texas probably occurred in 1688, when he accompanied De León on the expedition to arrest the Frenchman Jean Jarry in the future Kinney County. After De León's death in 1691, Ramón served as governor ad interim of Coahuila. Following the ineffectual Texas expedition of Domingo Terán de los Ríos in 1691–92, he reported to the viceroy on the plight of the missionaries in eastern Texas.
In 1699 Ramón led the founding expedition of Mission San Francisco Xavier, forty miles northwest of Monclova.
On January 1, 1700, Ramón, now sargento mayor, officiated in the removal of San Juan Bautista Mission from the Río de Sabinas on the Coahuila-Nuevo León border to the site of present-day Guerrero, Coahuila, five miles from the Rio Grande. His association with this settlement, which ultimately included two other missions, endured until his death twenty-four years later. In March 1701, on recommendation of the bishop of Guadalajara, Captain Ramón was placed in command of a "flying company" charged with defending the Rio Grande missions. Two years later, the company was given permanent station in Presidio de San Juan Bautista, adjacent to San Juan Bautista Mission, with Ramón in command. In 1706, when smallpox swept through the native population, both in the mission settlement and in the montes, the captain and several of his soldiers accompanied a missionary priest into the Texas wilds to baptize dying Indians.
In 1714 he received the French commercial agent Louis Juchereau de St. Denis, who had journeyed from Mobile seeking an entry to trade with the Spaniards, and sent him on to Mexico City for interrogation. In 1715, following an Indian uprising, Ramón crossed the Rio Grande with Fray Francisco Ruiz to return the rebellious natives to the missions.
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Conjecturally, Querétaro has been given as Diego Ramon (1641) birthplace, but that is by no means certain. In the baptismal record of the parish of Santiago de Querétaro appears the name of a daughter, Juana, born to Diego Ramón and María de los Ríos. Record of the couple's marriage does not appear.
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Many of Ramón's descendants also were involved in historic events. In 1716 Manuela Sánchez Navarro (see ST. DENIS, MANUELA SÁNCHEZ NAVARRO DE), the granddaughter of Ramón's wife, Feliciana Camacho y Botello, was wed to St. Denis. She later joined her husband at the French post at Natchitoches, Louisiana. Also in 1716, Diego Ramón saw his son Domingo off for eastern Texas at the head of a new mission-founding expedition, accompanied by St. Denis as commissary and the younger Diego Ramón (Domingo's brother) as alferez. Domingo was to command the presidio of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores de los Tejas on the Neches River, then Nuestra Señora de Loreto de la Bahía Presidio at its first site. He officiated also in the founding of Nuestra Señora del Espíritu Santo Missionqv, near the presidio at La Bahía.
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The second Diego Ramón, born in 1677, returned to Coahuila and ultimately came into possession of his father's hacienda, Santa Mónica. A third Diego Ramón, Domingo's son, succeeded to command of La Bahía upon his father's (Domingo's) death. He afterward became lieutenant of San Antonio de Béxar Presidio and temporarily commanded San Xavier de Horcasitas Presidio on the San Gabriel River. He was assigned to serve as alferez at San Luis de las Amarillas Presidio (San Sabá) Texas State Historical
1718 San Antonio Founding Families and Descendants members (1718 SAFFD) Presidio (Presidiales) Soldiers in period uniform. The 1718 SAFFD Soldiers, families and civilians period attire is a product of research and development by the 1718 SAFFD Advisory committee and members.
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Copyright 1718 SAFFD
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HOW TO QUALIFY FOR DESCENDANT
MEMBERSHIP
BOARD MEMBERS & OFFICERS
ADVISORY BOARD
List of known ancestors to qualify for descendant membership are the following​:
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-Capitan Ramon Diego (b. 1641-1724) Expedition into Texas
- Governor Alonso de Leon (b.1639-1689) Expedition into Texas
-Capitan Jose Urrutia
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-Domingo Teran de los Rios (b. 1691-1692 Expedition
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The 1718 Alarcon Expedition 35 Presido de Bejar soldiers and families totaling 72 people.
1. Alfrerez Francisco Hernández (wife, Ana Garcia and 3 son’s; Andres, Diego and Jacobo, and two daughters, Ana and Maria, total of 7 family members, plus two sons listed below.)
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2. Diego de Escobar, with his family, (wife.)
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3. Francisco Varreyro, (Barreyro.)
4. Miguel Martinez de Valenzuela.
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5. Diego de Zárate y Andizávar.
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6. Juan Varrera. (Barrera)
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7. Cristóbal Carvajal, (possible brother of Mateo, married Josefa Guerra, he died in San Antonio in 1734.)
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8. Joseph Flores Quiñones, (married Maria Flores de la Peña on May 6, 1721 at the Mission San Antonio de Valero.)
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9. Juan Valdés and wife Maria Zappopa de Iruegas.
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10. Joseph Gaona, with his family, (most likely with his wife).
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11. Juan de Castro, with his family (wife Ana de Padilla.)
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12. Nicolás Hernández (married Simona
de Sepulveda.)
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13. Francisco Hernández, son of the Alférez (married Marciana Longoria.)
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14. Joseph de Neira.
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15. Joseph Velásquez.
16. Francisco Menchaca. (Minchaca)
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17. Lázaro Joseph Chirino, with family (wife, Maria Gonzales de la Torre.)
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18. Gerónimo Carvajal. (married Maria Zapopa Minchaca, he died prior to 1722.)
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19. Sebastián Peniche.
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20. Antonio Guerra, (married Catharina Ximenes y Menchaca.)
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21. Francisco de Escobar.
22. Domingo Flores, (wife, Manuela Marcela Treviño.)
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23. Cristóbal de la Garza, (married Antonia Guerra, the daughter of Miguel Guerra and Maria Josefa Longoria on February 24, 1722 in La Villa de Béxar.)
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24. Sebastián Gonzáles.
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25. Joseph Plácido Flores.
26. Joseph Jiménes (Ximenes) (married Maria Flores de Valdés.)
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27. Manuel Maldonado.
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28. Manuel de Vargas.
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29. Pedro Rodriguez.
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30. Francisco Juan de la Cruz, master mason.
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31. Santiago Pérez.
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32. Joseph Menchaca.
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33. (Joseph) Antonio Menchaca, (aka
Francisco Menchaca, married Antonia Urrutia, the daughter of Capitán Jose Urrutia and Antonia Ramón.)
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34. Vicente Guerra, (buried 1725 at Mission San Antonio de Valero.)
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35. Cristóbal Barrera. (Varrera), (possibly Cristobal Barrera married Maria de Zapopan.)
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Frederick C. Chabot, With the Makers of San Antonio, Artes Graficas, (Copyright 1937), page 90.
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Carlos E. Castaneda, Our Catholic Heritage in Texas 1519-1936, Vol., II, (Arno Press, New York, 1976), pages 84-85.
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Mission San Antonio de Valero Burial Records
President
Lisa Santos
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Vice President & Membership Director
Monica A. Negron
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Secretary and Treasurer
Sandra Perusquia
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Public Relations
Charles Carvajal
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Founder & Past President
Jo Anne Gonzalez Murphy, MS-Psych, ABD (PhD)
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Founder
Alfred Hernández
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Advisors include professionals in the realm of Spanish Colonial Tejas, San Antonio and the Americas dating from, but not limited to, 1492 - 1718 the official establishment of San Antonio, Villa de Bejar, Presidio de Bejar and the Mission San Antonio de Valero aka The Alamo.
Press Release
We are proud to announce this newly formed group which comprised of one of the oldest histories in San Antonio, Texas! Many of our members are direct descendants of those participants of expeditions which occurred in 1718 and prior and even up to current day!
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In 2018 the City of San Antonio will be celebrating 300 years since San Antonio had been established. This group was founded and created to provide its descendants a place to unite and research genealogy but we are also a researching and professional group. Our missions and goals are to preserve, maintain and promote the history of San Antonio as it should be told and remembered.
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The first European Spaniards are responsible for bringing and introducing to the Americas; the first longhorn cattle, horses, saddles, vaquero (cowboy) hats, boots, spurs, lariats, rodeos, ranching and livestock methods, cattle drives and even cats and other animals. The Spaniards believed in "free range" and no borders for themselves and their livestock in horses which would create a stronger and robust vigor hybrid.
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We are cognizant and respectfully acknowledge the indigenous groups and peoples who were here prior to the arrival of the Spanish and with whom the Spanish did intertwine to further solidify the bloodlines within the very foundation of the New World which the Spanish named "America."
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The history of San Antonio cannot be told without sharing the events that ultimately led to its conception. Beginning the initial accounts of Cabeza de Vaca in 1528 to De Leon’s first exploratory expeditions into Tejas in 1689, Father Mazanet in 1691 when San Antonio is named and followed by multitude of other planned expeditions into this area.
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But, the most notable and important of these was the 1718 Martin de Alarcon, Spanish Governor of the Province of Tejas, Expeditions to finally establish its first Mission, a Presidio and a settlement of families.
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About two-hundred (years) had passed before San Antonio would be officially declared in May 1718. With that arrived Frianciscan Friars, thirty-five (35) presidio soldiers, and their families and the first livestock, horses and other animals.
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Thus the very perspective of what San Antonio, Texas and America is known for was brought in by the Spaniards and inspired an "Americana" way of life, ideals, government and the free spirited mind with the inherited confidence of our forefathers that continues on through this day as seen through its people, food, music, lifestyle, culture, architecture, government and the concept of what Texas stands for.
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Jo Anne Gonzalez Murphy, MS-Psych, ABD (PhD)
Founder/President
1718 SAFFD